Church Service
In the spring of 1834, the sixteen-year-old George A. Smith accompanied a group Latter Day Saints on a 2000-mile march to Missouri and back to Ohio. This trip, known as Zion's Camp, was intended to bring aid to suffering members of the church in Missouri. He served as a missionary to the eastern states, traveling and preaching during the summers of 1835, 1836, and 1837, while attending school during each winter.
Smith was ordained a Seventy in the priesthood on March 1, 1835 by Joseph Smith, Jr. On April 26, 1839, at the age of 21, George A. Smith was ordained an Apostle and he became a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church. Future President of the Church Wilford Woodruff was also ordained as an apostle on the same day. The two men replaced former Apostles Thomas B. Marsh, who had apostatized, and Orson Hyde, who had been disfellowshipped and removed from his position.
After Joseph Smith, Jr.'s death and the relocation of the LDS Church to Utah, Smith led a company of 118 volunteers and about 30 families to establish a colony near the Little Salt Lake in Iron County. They arrived at Centre Creek, 265 miles from Salt Lake City, on January 13, 1851. Under direction from the General Assembly of Deseret, the group organized the political entity of Iron County and elected Smith as chief justice. During the winter of 1850-51, the settlers constructed a fort enclosing homes, a meeting house to serve for meetings, a school, and a watch tower. They named their community Parowan. Smith taught school during the first winter. He later served as a member of Utah's territorial legislature.
In 1868, Smith was called to replace Heber C. Kimball as First Counselor in the First Presidency under Church President Brigham Young. Smith served in this position until his death on September 1, 1875. He was interred at the Salt Lake City Cemetery. Smith's first wife, Bathsheba W. Smith served as general president of the LDS Relief Society from 1901 to 1910. A son, John Henry Smith, also served as an Apostle and member of the First Presidency. George A. Smith's grandson and namesake, George Albert Smith, also became an Apostle and later served as the eighth President of the Church
Smith was the eighth official Church Historian of the LDS Church between 1854 and 1871.
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